Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday heaped praise on BJP President Amit Shah for the successful drive that saw the party membership cross the 10-crore mark to make it the largest party in the world.

| TNN | Updated: Apr 3, 2015, 03:34 IST

BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday heaped praise on BJP President Amit Shah for the successful drive that saw the party membership cross the 10-crore mark to make it the largest party in the world.
"It is the party which is important and the government is only a tool to achieve our objective," a source quoted an overwhelmed Modi as having told the party gathering on the eve of its two-day national executive, the first since the NDA government took charge last year.

The meet comes barely two months after Shah-led BJP tasted its first defeat in Delhi polls after a string of victories in various state polls.

Modi reminded the gathering of top BJP leaders here that the membership drive has "increased our (BJP's) self confidence" and the numbers prove that voters are becoming members of BJP. "These 10 crore members are the owners of the party," the source said, quoting Modi.

In his 40-minute speech at the office-bearers' meeting, it was learnt, Modi linked some of the government's programmes to bringing social change in the country, a theme he has always played on.

'Clean Ganga' campaign in five states will also include other rivers, he said and harped on the fact that the campaign had "enormous spiritual strength", asking the party to help the government achieve the difficult task and use the momentum to link people with BJP.

Modi also pledged to launch campaign to take "yoga to every village" on June 21 which has been declared as International Yoga Day.

The PM also stressed on taking 'Beti Bachao' and 'Jan Dhan' schemes to the people to counter BJP's pro-corporate and pro-rich image. The 'Swachh Bharat' (clean India) campaign will be successful if 10,000 of the new 10 crore members of the party could be directly linked to it, he is learnt to have told the party leaders.

Recalling Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Modi said they all thought of the 'last man' as he suggested that BJP should focus on social movements for nation-building.

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